The Psychology of Eating: From Healthy to Disordered Behavior

Food Choice 55

illustrate the extent to which the neurotransmitters affected by these drugs
influence the commencement of eating, the end of eating, and the pleasure
associated with food intake. Further details about the physiology of food
intake can be found in Mela and Rogers (1998).

The role of chemical senses

Food may reduce hunger, but it also has several sensory properties which
influence food choice. First, food has an appearance, and research shows
that the degree of illumination used to display foods, and a poor appear-
ance, particularly with a large amount of fat on view, can change food choice
(MacDougall, 1987). Second, food has an odor which can influence food
selection, and, third, food has a taste. Research indicates that taste and odor
play central roles in food choice, and has specifically examined the impact
of sweet, fatty, and salty tastes. For example, some studies indicate that a
preference for sweet foods as shown by hedonic measures is related to the
consumption of such foods (Mattes, 1985; Mattes and Mela, 1986).
Similarly, a preference for bitter tastes has been shown to relate to the
percentage of energy derived from bitter-tasting foods (Mattes, 1985), and
a preference for creamy foods relates to the consumption of high-fat milk
(Pangborn, Bos, and Stern, 1985). However, there are inconsistencies in this
literature. For example, Pangborn and Giovanni (1984) found no relationship
between hedonic rating for sweetness and sugar intake, and Mattes (1985)
found no relationship between preference for sweet and bitter foods and
intake. In terms of salt intake, the literature is also contradictory. Some
research shows no association between preference for salty tastes and salt
intake (Pangborn and Pecore, 1982; Mattes, Keumanyika, and Halpern, 1983),
while others have illustrated a relationship (Shepherd, Farleigh, and
Land, 1984; Shepherd and Farleigh, 1986a, 1986b). Shepherd and Farleigh
(1989) reviewed this research and suggested that the conflicting results
may be due to the use of different measures of both sensory attributes and
intake. Further, they argued that although preference is a useful proxy mea-
sure for the sensory response to a food, it is probably related to many other
factors which are neither being held constant nor being directly measured.

The effect of food on cognitions and behavior

Much psychological research has explored the impact of cognitions on
food choice (see earlier). Some research has also examined the reverse